Fourth Quarterly Report, January 1-March 31, 2012

The program's objective was to reach 500,000 youth out of a total population of 759,216, spread across 1,882 and 1,462 villages in Kiambu and Murang'a counties, respectively. The program focused on building youth structures, such as village Bunges and county boards, and partnerships for sustainable program development. During the fourth quarter of 2012, the program shifted its focus from laying the foundation to strengthening the structures for organizing and delivering youth activities. The Count Bunge Forum (CBF) boards, which had been elected to represent the village Bunges, played a crucial role in mobilizing fellow youths and taking initiative to strengthen the operations of the village Bunges. The program expanded its geographical coverage to all 15 constituencies of Kiambu and Murang'a counties for objectives 0 and 1, while undertaking activities under objectives 2 and 3 in Juja constituency in Kiambu County and Gatanga constituency in Murang'a County. The program continued to benefit from learning experiences during implementation, often modifying strategies to suit the local environment and banking on local community structures. Despite slow mobilization, awareness about YYC and interest in joining village youth Bunges increased. The YYC structure became clearer as the already formed village Bunges and the CBFs provided avenues for youth to seek clarification and try to identify with a program that had received skepticism earlier. Mobilization and sensitization of the youths were carried out in partnership with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS) and the CBF boards. Mobilization meetings were held within administrative units to reach more youth with YYC information. During such meetings, youth "Bright Spots" with leadership and coordination qualities emerged, mobilizing fellow youth for the program. The program directly reached a total of 17,816 youth through YYC-C activities, and a further 36,030 more 'at risk' youths were reached indirectly through barazas, outreach campaigns, radio shows, sports tournaments, and other youth activities, bringing the total number of youths reached to over 53,846. The formed village Bunges were required to register with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development (MoGCSD) to legitimize their operations. However, due to negative publicity and increased registration requests, the registration process faced challenges. Mercy Corps continued to engage the relevant offices to support formed Bunges in easing the registration processes. The program also enhanced partnerships and networking by holding discussions with key stakeholders in the province, including the provincial administration, MoYAS, and MoGCSD. This was aimed at building confidence among the youth and stakeholders while changing the thinking of others about the program. Mercy Corps' mentorship program continued to involve Bunge members on civic issues, including development of advocacy plans, resource mapping, and action plans. During the quarter, 503 Bunges developed action plans to influence their community and local government decision making. To increase youth employability, livelihoods, and income, the program rolled out entrepreneurship trainings in four districts in Juja and Gatanga constituencies. The Bunges had previously selected 16 youths as ToTs to determine the appropriateness of the draft curriculum. The program also assisted USAID/EY in conducting a major campaign in all the counties for youth who did not have identity cards to register ahead of the general elections. The program's overall progress was reflected in the table below, which illustrates village Bunge coverage in the two counties. County | Constituency | Total youth population | Female in Bunges | Male in Bunges | Total Youths in Bunges | Total Bunges formed | Average per Bunge Murang'a | Gatanga | 47,799 | 1,816 | 1,013 | 2,829 | 123 | 23 Murang'a | Kandara | 41,347 | 785 | 2,141 | 2,926 | 77 | 38 Murang'a | Kangema | 20,380 | 702 | 928 | 1,630 | 55 | 29 Murang'a | Kigumo | 33,203 | 778 | 982 | 1,760 | 55 | 32 Murang'a | Kiharu | 49,174 | 1,139 | 2,147 | 3,286 | 106 | 31 Murang'a | Maragwa | 41,231 | 730 | 851 | 1,581 | 56 | 28 Murang'a | Mathioya | 22,826 | 521 | 657 | 1,178 | 44 | 27 Kiambu | Gatundu North | 27,359 | 574